Lawyers Committee Mourns Death of Arthur C. Helton in U.N. Bombing: Helton, Built LCHR's Refugee Program

The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights mourns the death of
refugee expert Arthur C. Helton, who died in the bombing at the United
Nations in Baghdad on Tuesday.

Helton, a leading authority on refugee and humanitarian issues, worked
at the Lawyers Committee for 12 years, from 1982 to 1994, where he led
the Refugee Rights Program. Helton's most recent position was with the
Council on Foreign Relations, as the Director, Peace and Conflict
Studies and a Senior Fellow, Refugee Studies and Preventive Action.

"People now talk about how refugee rights are human rights," said
Michael Posner, Executive Director of the Lawyers Committee for Human
Rights. "Arthur was in the forefront of promoting that idea. He was one
of the first people, if not the first, working at a human rights
organization with an exclusive focus on refugee protection and the
protection of displaced people. He was a major force in building
concern for refugees first in the U.S. and then he took that concern
international."

When the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights was founded in 1978, one of
its programs was devoted to helping win asylum in the United States for
those fleeing political and religious persecution in their home
countries. Helton took that idea and created an innovative - and now
much replicated - pro bono representation program for asylum seekers.
His idea was to connect lawyers at the most prestigious firms in the
United States with refugees seeking asylum from persecution, many of
whom were indigent. The program Helton started now represents more than
1,000 asylum seekers each year, winning more than 90 percent of its
cases.

Helton's first breakthrough in refugee advocacy in the U.S. was in 1982
when close to 2,000 Haitian refugees were being held in detention in
Florida.

"Arthur persuaded me to promise a federal judge that if these Haitians
were released, we would find volunteer lawyers across the country for
all 2,000 Haitians," Posner said. "And he did it. He devised a
strategy to identify local lawyers in 20 states. Working with the
American Bar Association, he recruited lawyers, trained them and
connected them with the Haitian refugees. As we now know, 20 years
later, he also helped foster a cadre of lawyers who understand refugee
issues, care about refugee rights, and fight for refugee protection."

At the same time, in the early 80s, Helton was at the center of
virtually every legislative and regulatory battle involving refugees.

"He shaped U.S. national policy regarding refugees," Posner said. "Over
the two decades of Arthur's work, in both Washington and Geneva, he
helped countless refugees in all corners of the world."

Helton also focused internationally. He led delegations around the
world to study the situation of displaced people in Central America and
other refugee issues in Southeast Asia, Africa, Russia, and the Middle
East. Because of this work, he was one of the leading outside advisors
to the United Nations on refugee issues, and pushed the Office of the
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees to adopt strong refugee protection
policies.

"Arthur was right in the center of figuring out how the UN should deal
with refugee issues," Posner said. "When he'd go to Geneva, he met with
everyone who mattered. It was in the context of this work that he met
Sergio de Mello."

At the time of the bombing, Helton was scheduled to meet at the U.N.
headquarters in Baghdad with Sergio Vieira de Mello, the U.N's chief
envoy to Iraq. De Mello was also killed in the bombing.

"Arthur was legendarily hard working and tenacious. He was not afraid
to have an audacious idea and he was not afraid to carry it out, which
he did successfully," Posner said. "I can remember many times when
people - everyone it seemed - would tell Arthur he couldn't do
something, and then with his singular grit and determination, he would
make it happen. Refugees around the world have lost a tireless
advocate, a great friend, and one of their leading and brightest
lights."

The Lawyers Committee extends its sympathy to Jackie, Helton's wife, and
to his family.

Other biographical information on Arthur Helton:
* Wrote The Price of Indifference: Refugees and Humanitarian Action in
the New Century.
* Founded the Forced Migration Project at the Open Society Institute
(1994-1995)
* Adjunct Professor, Columbia University School of Law (2001 to 2003)

About The Author

Jill Savitt is the Director of Communications of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. Since 1978, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights has worked in the US and abroad to create a secure and humane world by advancing justice, human dignity and respect for the rule of law.

The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of ILW.COM.